Mix egg whites and make a paste by adding the sugar and almonds. Put in a piping bag and pipe into concentric rings – you can buy the moulds for this in Norway.
Bake in a 180C for 5 minutes, turn and bake another 5 or so or until they look golden brown. Pile the rings on top of each other and decorate with white or coloured icing. silver/gold balls, sugared almonds etc.

Beat all the ingredients together with a mixer to a batter and leave for half an hour for the flour to swell. Add a little milk if the batter is too thick. The batter may be kept in the fridge for a couple of days. The baking powder will cause it to go a bit grey and spotty on top, but that doesn’t matter. The batter also freezes well.
Heat up a waffle iron and grease the iron with a little butter or margarine. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of batter at a time and bake for a few minutes till the waffles are a nice caramel colour. Don’t be tempted to lift the lid till the batter has stopped sizzling and oozing out on the sides.
Put the waffles on a cooling rack to cool off a little. I like eating them warm when they are also crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. They will be more floppy when they are cold, but some people prefer them that way. The waffles can be eaten simply buttered (best buttered when cooled down), with butter and raspberry/strawberry jam or with soured cream / creme fraiche and raspberry / strawberry jam on top. This works well when they are hot.
Ragne Hopkins

Atholl Brose

8 heaped tablespoons Scottish oatmeal

3-4 tablespoons heather honey

½ pint double cream

3-4 tablespoons whisky (I use single malt)

4oz raspberries

Place the oatmeal in a large frying pan and toast it over a medium heat until it changes colour and it gives off a nutty smell.

Transfer it into a bowl and add the cream

Stir well and add the whisky and honey to taste

Pour into a serving bowl and place in the fridge for two hours after which it should be a stiff dessert

Serve in small quantities with a few raspberries

Gravadlax

1 salmon fillet

2tbsp white peppercorns

1 tbsp coriander seeds

120g coarse salt

170g caster sugar

200g dill finely chopped + ectra sprigs

Freeze salmon before use – to kill any harmful bacteria (this is a new thing chefs are starting to do although we have never done this)

Crush peppercorns and coriander seeds, and mix with salt and sugar

Spread dill on salmon (outside) then cover with this mix

Cut fillet in half

Lay the dill sprigs on one half and cover with the other

Lay flesh side down and wrap well in cling film

Place in a dish and weigh it down

Keep in the fridge for 2-3 days

Brush off spice mix and cut into not too thin slices (traditionally thicker than smoked salmon)

Hjortetakk (Christmas Doughnuts)

3 eggs

270g icing sugar

150ml cream

150m sour cream

2tbsp baking soda (original recipe used salt but we find it a bit strong)

1 tsp cardamom powder

25g melted butter

500g plain flour

lard for deep frying

Whisk eggs and sugar until light and creamy

Whisk cream and sour cream together

Fold both together and add butter

Fold in flour and baking soda and cardamom

Leave overnight then form into knots and fry in hot lard

Leave to rest in fridge until needed

Marinated Salmon

1 side salmon

1 orange zest

1 lemon zest

300g caster sugar

300g coarse salt

Mix the zest, sugar and salt

Spread over the surface of the salmon (keep some for garnish)

Wrap tightly in cling film and keep in the fridge for 3 days

Remove from the fridge and wipe of the marinade

Freeze the side for 1 day

Slice thinly and sprinkle with zest

Tropical Trifle

1 tin of pineapples

1 tin of mandarin oranges

2 yogurts (plain or pineapple or mandarin – any combination)

1 bag of marshmallows

1 cup (or more) of desiccated coconut

Drain the pineapples and mandarins (drink juice at leisure)

Cut marshmallows in half (or smaller)

Mix all ingredients (except ½ the coconut) in dish used for serving

Sprinkle remaining coconut on top

Serves (up to, say) 6-8 people

Famkal – Lamb & Cabbage Stew

225g shoulder of lamb cut into pieces

1 x head of cabbage, cored and sliced

450ml water

½ tbsp. whole black peppercorns

2 tbsp. salt to taste

Cut the cabbage into boats

Layer the meat and cabbage in a pan

Add salt and peppercorn between each layer (the peppercorns can be put in a muslin bag and removed after cooking)

If a slightly thick sauce is preferred, add 1-2 tbsp. of flour between the layers

Add water, bring to the boil, remove any scum and let the stew simmer for around 2hours

Sprinkle chopped parsley over

Serve with new potatoes

Kvaefjord Kake (The worlds best cake)

100g sugar

100g butter

4 egg yolks

100g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp vanilla sugar or ½ tsp vanilla essence

4tbsp milk

Topping:

4 egg whtes

150g sugar

100g chopped almonds

250mm whipping cream + 2tbsp sugar

500mm vanilla custard (bought in)

Set oven to 175 degrees

Cream butter and sugar until soft

Add the egg yolks, one at a time

Mix the flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar together and add to the mixture together with the milk

Cover a rectangular tin (swiss roll tin) with baking parchment and spread the mix into the tin

Whip egg whites until stiff

Add sugar little by little, whisking continuously

Spread the meringue mixture on top and sprinkle with almonds

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes

Cool on the rack. Cut into halves and remove the parchment

Mix cream and vanilla custard

Spread over the cake and put the other half on top

Leave for 2 hours in the fridge before serving

Fishcakes (serves 4)

700g haddock

2tsp salt

2tbsp cornflour

¼ tsp nutmeg

4-5dl of milk or cream

(1 egg, optional)

Cut fish into smaller pieces, put into food processor wit nutmeg, salt and cornflour, beat for a few seconds, add icecold liquid and beat till mixture is even. Make fishcakes and fry in marg for 30-40 seconds. Serve with potatoes, broccoli and pickled beetroot.

Rulle Polse

1 whole bonesless belly pork

50g coarse sea salt

20g ground pepper

5g ground allspice

6 gelatin leaves

Make brine and cool

Trim meat, sprinkle with salt and spices

Soak gelatin in cold water for 10 mins

Spreak sheets over pork to cover

Roll meat tightly and tie at 1 inch intervals

Place in brine for 48hours

Rove brine and place in large pan of fresh water

Boil- simmer for 1 hour

Remove and place whole in a loaf tin. Cover and weigh down with tins.

Chill for 2 days and slice thinly

Microwave ’Clootie Dumpling’

8fl oz water

7 oz soft brown sugar

2 tbs mixed spice

15oz dried fruit

Heat all the above to boiling and simmer for 1 minute

Take off the heat and vigorously stir in

8 oz SR flour

2 beaten eggs

Pour into microwave wave proof dish and cook for 8 minutes on high power